Winter Can Also Bring Happiness
by bkeiii
Summary: For Tsukishima, winter is always cold and harsh. But, maybe, just maybe, this year's winter wouldn't be the same anymore. [Sorry for any grammatical mistake, for not giving the feeling you've expected, and for anything that is wrong with this story]


In his 20 years of living, Tsukishima knew that his hometown is not the best place to be in winter. About how the wind is howling, about the snow that could fall anytime with huge amount, or about how much clothes he needs to wear when he is out, everything. _It's a hassel, don't you think?,_ he always thought to himself.

Well, apparently, it's only him who hates the snow, the cold, or in short, the winter.

Everytime he walked home from his college in winter, though it's really cold he can barely stand it, he would see a bunch of pairs walking side by side, holding hands, smile fondly to each other, and sometimes followed by a giggle either from one of them or from them both. They didn't show any sign of shivering because of cold, which cause Tsukishima to ask if their skin could not feel the cold anymore, or if his skin is being too sensitive about cold.

Tsukishima sighed, heavily. He stopped walking as he felt a snow fell onto his bare hair. He faced his palm to the sky and could see the tiny white pieces called snow on his glove. He smiled, yet he felt miserable everytime he saw snow. Because-

"Tsukki!"

Tsukishima immediately turned his head, to see a figure with thick jacket on him. Though his head was covered by hat and half of the face was covered by a mask, the glasses boy still managed to recognize the voice, the figure, and the eyes as one of his acquaintance.

No, he's more than just an acquaintance, at least for Tsukishima.

"Kuroo-san?" Tsukishima furrowed his eyebrows, as the suspected approached him, taking his mask down so Tsukishima could see his whole face. And it's truly Kuroo.

"What are you doing? In the middle of winter?" Kuroo asked, sounded excited.

"That should be my line, don't you think? What is the city boy doing here anyway?" Tsukishima said.

"Well, Kenma is visiting Hinata and he abandoned me in the middle of their happy shopping time," Kuroo growled. "And you?"

"Going home. I'm just going home from school," Tsukishima barely said it. He could feel his heart beating like crazy, as if it's going to explode in any time.

 _Seems like I still_ a little bit _longing for him,_ Tsukishima said to himself.

"Then, what about having a little chat in that restaurant? Or do you need to go straight home? Your parent may worry about you," Kuroo offered as he pointed out a family restaurant with a lot of people in it, giving up such a warm vibes, like what a family restaurant supposed to.

"I'm living alone now, so they won't be worry," Tsukishima shrugged.

When they get into the restaurant, it was surely warm. Tsukishima didn't know if it was caused by amount of people in, the heaters they put on, or Kuroo who just casually lead him by holding hands. Whether it's because he unconsciously did that or because he really didn't care about what others might think, it's really a careless move he has done, regarding to how pretty mature he was when he still a mentor to Tsukishima.

But then, still, Tsukishima couldn't help but admit that he did like Kuroo holding his hands. Such a big and muscled hand was now holding the more fragile and slender hand. He's a man, but having someone to hold you, feels like you were being protected, is nice after all.

"Oi, don't doze off," Kuroo waved his hands before Tsukishima's face, bringing the blond boy to his common sense again.

"Ah, sorry," Tsukishima apologized as he realized that Kuroo didn't hold his hand again. It happened they've found an unoccupied table.

"Tsukki," Kuroo called. Tsukishima stiffed his shoulder, surprised. "If you want to think about your winter homework, let's do that later. We haven't met for nearly 4 years, you know? We should spend our time not talking about your homework."

"Guess you're right," Tsukishima replied, shortly.

Not long after, a waitress, a really pretty and cute waitress came up with the menu book with her. Tsukishima could see her face a little bit flushed now as she gave the menu to Kuroo. Her eyes were simply set on Kuroo, she even startled when Kuroo looked at her.

It's not a secret though, Tsukishima knew it. Hinata often told Kageyama, and coincidentally he was there too, that Kenma was usually ranting on Kuroo spending his time with girls too much. That Kenma often got letters from Kuroo's admirer. That Kuroo sometimes reeks of woman's perfume when Kenma visited him on weekends. So, rest assure that Kuroo was pretty popular, he indeed had affairs in the past.

 _But what is it that made him popular though?,_ Tsukishima thought while Kuroo told the waitress what he was ordering. Kuroo wasn't the most handsome man in the volleyball club. He actually thinks that Lev has much more fans since he was half Russian. He also wasn't an ace, Taketora was. Well, he's the captain of the team, but if he were compared to Oikawa or that Johzenji's captain he doesn't know the name of, Tsukishima would likely to choose Oikawa.

 _So what is it?_

"Tsukki, you're dozing off again," Kuroo scowled.

"Sorry," Tsukishima lowered his head. Though he couldn't see it, somehow, he could feel Kuroo was staring at him.

"Are you that nervous meeting up with me?" Kuroo asked straight to the topic, making Tsukishima startled. He slowly raised his head to look at Kuroo's eyes directly while saying "no, I'm not nervous". But in the end, it didn't happen. Rather, he could feel his cheek warmed up and his tongue tied.

"What are you talking about?" those words was managed to come out from Tsukishima's usual sarcastic mouth.

"You're dozing off a lot since we met. Why?" Kuroo, surprisingly calm, asked Tsukishima about it.

"Why? I'm not gonna tell you," Tsukishima answered, just in time when a waitress brought their drinks. And as she put down the drinks, Tsukishima snatched out his glass and drank it furiously, only half of it left.

"See, you're nervous," Kuroo giggled as he watched Tsukishima wasn't being himself, the collected and sarcastic Tsukishima he has known.

Tsukishima just looked out at the window, seeing a lot of people that mostly in pairs walking happily. Like a wind wasn't howling and it wasn't cold. They even kissing out there, ended up with bright red faces.

"Say, Tsukki. Do you have a girlfriend or an ex, maybe?" Kuroo asked, out of the blue. Tsukishima looked at Kuroo like he was looking at an alien : it's weird.

"Nope. You? I somehow overheard that you have some affairs after graduation from high school," Tsukishima smirked. Kuroo didn't look pissed at all, rather he was looking surprised.

"How can- Ah, I know it. Kenma must have ranted about me to Hinata, right?"

Tsukishima shrugged, "Sort of."

"I can't deny it in the end," Kuroo chuckled, but it sounded.. off, somehow. He didn't actually find it funny.

"Well, as expected from Mr. Popular," Tsukishima laughed it off, so the suddenlt tensed atmosphere could go away. He didn't know if it was success, but seeing Kuroo could have a brighter laugh than before made him think he's success.

"I am."

And so, the conversation just flow as it is. There's a lot of stories Kuroo told to Tsukishima. Mostly about his new team in college, about how the coach is more strict than Nekomata-sensei was, about his teammates that literally were more skilled, and about his endless missrable love stories. To know that the Mr. Popular could be dumped just because he was practicing so hard in volleyball so he wouldn't be left behind just remind the older guy one about Suguru, his rival. But when Suguru's girlfriend in the end getting back together, Kuroo's girlfriend probably fed up with "I'm having practice" reasons.

Tsukishima, after all, didn't really told Kuroo much about himself. He just told Kuroo that he was having a rough time while he was pointed out as a vice captain in his third years. To top it all, he was busy getting himself together since the exam was near. That's all that he told Kuroo about.

Hey, how could he told Kuroo that he was actually come to Nekoma's graduation ceremony since Kenma asked him to? Ended up seeing Kuroo being confessed to by a cute slender girl, probably his classmates? Hearing her addresing Kuroo as "Tetsu", being clingy to him and even asked for a kiss somehow boiled his blood, even though he doesn't have any reasons to.

Who he is, after all? Just a student, just another underclassman from other school, just a unexpectedly good friends to his one school junior.

A phone suddenly ring, the sound was coming from Kuroo's side, and turned out true. Kuroo picked it up after Tsukishima nodded, signaling him to pick up the phone.

"What, Kenma? You've done shopping and abandoning me, huh? Ah, now you said it. You're in the mall, right? I'll pick you up, bye."

"Going back?" Tsukishima asked. Kuroo answer it with a nod. "Shall I walk you to the mall, then?"

"You're so kind, Tsukki. But it's okay, I can get there by myself," Kuroo stood up, followed by Tsukishima.

Tsukishima's mind go crazy, his heart was split into two. There're like two side of him : the side that told him to just let him go, with small yet possible possibility to meet and have communication, and the side that told him to say what he's been hiding from him for this nearly 4 years, with consequence being avoided by him.

As he thinking about it, they were already outside, in the middle of loud voice and crowd. The snow wasn't falling anymore, thank God he didn't need to feel the cold of snow in his hand.

"It's a farewell, huh?" Kuroo looked up at the sky, about to leave.

But, suddenly, Tsukishima's hand took Kuroo's wirst, leading him to the nearest small road, where everyone barely passed. Tsukishima didn't know that his body could be disobeying his brain, and prefer to hear his heart. He could see confused expression on Kuroo's face. And it was clearer when they stopped, Kuroo's back on the wall, and Tsukishima blocked his way by putting both of his hands nears Kuroo's body.

And Tsukishima was rest assure that Kuroo was shocked when he suddenly felt something soft and a bit sweet on his lips, just as Tsukishima did.

"Wait, Tsukki, what does it-"

"Firstly, don't interupt me because I'm going to explain anything," Tsukishima finally spoke up. "Secondly, I don't know, my body just moved on their own. Thirdly.."

"Thirdly?"

"I like you," Tsukishima managed to get those words to slip out of his mouth smoothly. "But I know you're gonna be grossed out. You like cute girls after all! Like the one who confessed to you on your graduation ceremony! How nice to be a Mr. Popular!"

"Wait, did you just say you came to my-"

"I just want you to know, that's all," Tsukishima's voice started to crack. "We probably won't see each other again, so I think it's easier for me to move on if I told you, right?"

Kuroo widened his eyes, never really expected this to come. "OK, don't leave first because I have some questions to answer."

Tsukishima was in silence, not looking at Kuroo's face at all. "First, did you come to Nekoma's graduation ceremony?"

Tsukishima nodded.

"You saw me get confessed to by a cute girl?"

Tsukishima nodded again.

"Did you see her asking me to kiss her?"

Tsukishima was frozed, but he nodded anyway. Kuroo sighed, heavily.

"I hope I can explain it longer but I need to catch up with the train, so.." Kuroo stopped talking and all that Tsukishima could feel was something that was slipped on to his jacket pocket. "That's all I can give you for now, please ask for my phone number to Kenma if you need that."

And as expected, Kuroo fled from Tsukishima, running so fast. Somehow, he felt a little bit relieved because he could actually went to confess to him. But he also felt sad and pathetic because he was going for something unnecessary. In the end, Kuroo wasn't interested in him. Hell, like he would.

Tsukishima walked to the big road, slipping his hand to his jacket pocket. His hand feeling something strange.

Not strange, it's a paper.

The glasses guy took out the things, seeing a button and a piece of papers. Tsukishima could only thought of his white shirts when he saw the button, thinking that the shirt's button came off and he put it in the pocket. But how come it also comes with a paper? He also wonder about it too.

Curious, Tsukishima slowly opened the paper. There's a messy handwritting on it, and only contained few lines. But as he read out the letter, Tsukishima couldn't help but to laugh. Now that he thought about it, Tsukishima probably know why Kuroo was a popular guy in his school : he looks more mature than he supposed to, and this. He's sweet.

 _Nekoma's uniform might not be a gakuran, but just in case, I give you the second button of my uniforms, the closest to my hearts. Please take care of it. I love you._

 _Kuroo Tetsurou_

 **I don't know why, but somehow I feel like it's pretty cringey? Like, how can I came up with such ideas?**

 **Anyway, thanks to the readers who still read this story to the end, even though it's cheesy and cringe-worthy. Also, I hope you will kindly remind me if there's a sentence with wrong grammar, because English is not my first language and it's sort of the second story I wrote in English.**

 **Once again, thanks for reading this! Hope I can make stories about the other OTP too :3**


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